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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. field — farmland
  10. fall — the season
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — a subject
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — a container
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com